Abandoned Towns

What a fantastic book with such gorgeous pictures! I was disappointed that the abandoned locations didn't seem haunted, because there were logical reasons the places became uninhabited. A lot of the abandoned towns used to be mines, while others were victims of weather, volcanoes, and/or war. One place was, ironically, an oasis that was abandoned after being destroyed by heavy rain.
I love how the author pointed out that, while some of these locations are the most beautiful places in the world, that didn't mean that people living there would necessarily be able to appreciate that when living conditions are harsh.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this! I'm going to go through it again, because it's just so interesting

Abandoned Towns by Chris McNab is utterly stunning. The book is structured by continent and is a stark reminder of historical events and a warning about the effect of current events

Each picture has a description and an overview of the history of the area and the events that lead to the locations abandonment. From financial failure, to natural disaster, and sadly, man made disaster, However, theyy not only serve as a warning, but in many cases, monuments to be preserved (such as the Wat Phra Si Sanphet temple complex in Thailand, the Tkvarcheli Power Plant in Abkhazia, the Vijayanagara, in Karnataka , India and the Jahaz Mahal. This list is not exhaustive as there are structures in every chapter that have a story

The architectural styles are described clearly and succinctly and it is interesting to see which have stood the test of time and travesty, and which have not. It is also interesting to see the different architectural styles adopted globally

Another aspect which was beautifully captured, is how nature returns, taking over and growing through structures, sometimes destroying them, sometimes sheering them up, but prevailing. While this does not happen in every instance, it happens in the majority of them

I really, really enjoyed this book and it is well worth reading as a chronicle of history and the tenacity of the natural world

Thank you very much to Netgalley, Chris Mc Nab and Amber Books Limited for this stunning and thought provoking ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own